


there's hope for our future (bright eyes and toothless grin, the joy of a child)

by amako



Series: Haruno Inami [2]
Category: Naruto
Genre: (again not between the main characters), (not between the main characters), (shikamaru finally joins sakura in her dorkiness), Adopted Children, Adoption, Alternate Universe - Future, Curtain Fic, Deaf Character, Dorks in Love, F/F, F/M, Family, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fluff, Forced Marriage, Friendship, Haruno Sakura Is An Orphan, Kakashi-critic, Kid Fic, Light Angst, Married Life, Minor Original Character(s), Multi, Naruto-critical, Non-Verbal Character, Original Character(s), Post-Fourth Shinobi War, Postpartum Depression, References to Depression, Romance, Sasuke-critical, Shikamaru is a haruno pass it on, Suicide, check out the notes for details if you're worried, mute character, original child character - Freeform, those last couple of tags are where the angst come from
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:33:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25694335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amako/pseuds/amako
Summary: "Sakura had come into the bedroom to find Inami with bruises under his eyes and dried tear-tracks on his cheeks. The poor child had cried himself to sleep when no one came during the night he spent terrified of his new home, plagued by night terrors, and so thirsty Sakura had to put him on a saline drip for a few hours.All of that because neither of them foresaw the consequences of leaving a mute child alone in a crib he wasn’t tall enough to climb.That mess had utterly destroyed the peace of their new family."
Relationships: Akimichi Chouji & Nara Shikamaru & Yamanaka Ino, Akimichi Chouji & Yamanaka Ino, Haruno Sakura & Sai, Haruno Sakura & Yamanaka Ino, Haruno Sakura/Nara Shikamaru, Hyuuga Hinata/Yamanaka Ino, Hyuuga Neji/Rock Lee/Tenten
Series: Haruno Inami [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1863295
Comments: 5
Kudos: 100





	there's hope for our future (bright eyes and toothless grin, the joy of a child)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LindtLuirae](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LindtLuirae/gifts).



> This is a continuation of the "gift" I wrote for bouncy a couple of months ago, but this time with a twist! Because literally the day after bouncy commissioned me to write a continuation for that first story, I received a message from someone asking if I would write a story to gift to bouncy! Seriously, can you imagine the coincidence?? So I was beyond excited, genuinely. I asked the gifter if they would agree to add the wordcount they were paying for to the original wordcount bouncy commissioned, and they said yes, so I happily set off to write a full length sequel to that first story, hoping to the gods that bouncy would enjoy the surprise. So, surprise!! <3 I really hope you'll enjoy getting more than double what you were expecting, and that this sequel makes you happy. It certainly made me happy to continue that little universe I created just for you. Enjoy your curtain fic <3
> 
> And give many thanks to your gifter, StrangeBeautiful, and thank you both for supporting me and my writing. You're awesome.
> 
> Warnings: the tags I used are for a minor original character but if you'd rather be spoiled because you're worried about the content, I got you. Here goes: a member of Konoha 12 is forced to marry someone in a loveless arranged marriage. They don't dislike each other but they're both deeply unhappy. After three children in as many years, the wife jumps off a cliff. It's implied she was depressed, and it's implied her widowed husband now is too after her loss, blaming himself and his family.

For the fifth time in as many minutes, Shikamaru’s eyes droop and his head slowly bends forward until his chin touches his chest, waking him up like a slap. His head shoots up, once again, and he finds himself pushing aggressive fingers into his eyes, hoping despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, that he’ll be able to keep himself awake just that tiny bit longer. But Shikamaru isn’t a fool, and he doesn’t need to be a certified genius to know the reality of his situation. He’s beyond exhausted, the feeling now so deeply ingrained into his bones he doesn’t remember a time when he wasn’t intimately familiar with exhaustion twenty-five hours a day, day after day, for close to a week now.

He can’t stop a quiet, tired, disillusioned little laugh from leaving his lips. This isn’t how he envisioned his life being a week ago, when Sakura brought a tiny bundle of love and life-changing madness into their lives. Oh, he was prepared for what a child would entail, as prepared as someone without a child could be anyway. Most of their friends have children of their own and both Shikamaru and Sakura had taken care of their godchildren, nephews and other friends’ children on numerous occasion. But none of those children had been mute. And Shikamaru is self-aware enough to readily admit it: he wasn’t prepared in the slightest for what was to come.

Now a week later, Shikamaru is so intimately familiar with this twenty-five hours a day, every day of the week exhaustion, and he’s tragically conscious of how little things are going to change in the next few days, maybe even the next few weeks. Because the one thing neither Sakura, nor he, saw coming when they decided to keep this magical, lovely child, was the bone-chilling anxiety that comes with knowing that if Inami is in trouble, if he’s in pain, afraid, hungry, hell, if one of the countless enemies they’ve made along the years decides to barge in to their new son’s room to hurt him, if _anything_ were to happen to Inami… he would have no way of letting them know that.

This single, simple fact had been enough to render them a mess of nervous panic and paranoia after the first night Inami had spent in their home, when Sakura had come into his room the following morning to find Inami with bruises under his eyes and dried tear-tracks on his cheeks. The poor child had cried himself to sleep when no one came during the night he spent terrified of his new home, plagued by night terrors of his horrible time at the hospital and horrifying memories of how he came to Konoha in the first place, and so thirsty Sakura had to put him on a saline drip for a few hours.

All of that because neither of them foresaw the consequences of leaving a mute child alone in a crib he wasn’t tall enough to climb.

That mess had utterly destroyed the peace of their new family. Plagued with guilt and fear, Shikamaru and Sakura had been taking turns to watch Inami while he slept, every night since that first, catastrophic one. It’s not an ideal solution, they’re _painfully_ aware of that, but both are in a position of power high enough that they could simply state that they wouldn’t be coming in to work for some time and no one was going to bother them about it. The understanding is that, in case of emergencies, of course they’re going to intervene, but as it stands, with no emergencies so far to take them away from their home, both have the luxury of being able to stay awake all night and sleep the next day, while the other takes care of Inami before swapping for the following night.

It’s so far from being an adequate solution it’s not even funny, but it’s the only one they’ve been able to figure out so far, and being exhausted out of their mind isn’t the best state to be in while trying to come up with something better. It also means that Shikamaru has barely seen heard or seen Sakura in a week, their paths crossing only as one wakes up and the other goes to sleep. He sorely misses his wife. She sorely misses him as well. Neither are willing to compromise Inami’s safety and happiness just to get a little time together.

Inami’s breath itches softly, his face relaxed and content. So far, this is the first night the boy hasn’t woken up from a nightmare. Shikamaru is counting this as their biggest win yet, and he’s excited to share it with Sakura in the morning. Of course, the night isn’t over and this lucky streak might end before he goes to bed, but he’s hopeful. The boy trusts them, he’s not afraid to communicate his needs with the growing vocabulary of sign language they’re working on teaching him to complement the basics he knew before coming into their life.

With careful movements, he brushes butterfly-soft fingertips against Inami’s cheek, tracing a pattern of love and care to the tip of his nose that he flicks so-very lightly. He feels like heart grow until it fills every corner of his chest, full to bursting with love for this tiny person who trusts Sakura and him to do what’s best for him. What a terrifying thought. What a wonderful one, too.

He doesn’t realize he’s finally dozed off, exhaustion having won the battle, until he feels soft lips pressing against the crown of his head. He jumps a little, battlefield instincts still too close to the surface to allow him a calm waking up. Sakura’s fingers draw gentle circles against his nape until he settles, his eyes instinctively going to Inami’s crib. It’s empty. Shikamaru doesn’t even have time to freeze up before he feels a chubby hand against his hair, finally turning around to look at his wife and their son, perched on her hip. Inami’s arm is reaching for him, the boy’s silence already made-up for by the wide grin he offers Shikamaru when their eyes meet.

“Hello, beloved,” Sakura smiles, love clearer than crystal on her face.

“Good morning,” he answers, raising a hand to take Inami’s in his, melting at the silent giggle from his son. “Did anything happen? I don’t even know what time it was when I fell asleep.” He can’t help but worry, even if Sakura looks unbothered and Inami smiles like the sun from his mother’s hip.

“A happy coincidence. I was walking to the bathroom and I wanted to check on the both of you. We’ve been exhausting ourselves, haven’t we, my love?” she says softly, the same fear in her eyes that he can feel compressing his lungs whenever he thinks about that first night. “When I looked, you were still awake, but barely, and your eyes kept closing. So I went to the bathroom and when I came back, you were asleep. So I took Inami from his crib and I brought him to our bed. He finished his night there and I stayed awake for the few hours before morning. You deserved your rest.”

Shikamaru rises from the sitting pillow, his bones creaking in displeasure at his night spent sitting up. He waves, unsteady on his feet like he rarely is and Sakura’s arm shoots out, grabbing his forearm to hold him still as he finds his balance. Sakura’s eyes on him are calculating, and he submits willingly to her inspection. It’s not like he has any ground to refute her worries. He shares every bit of them when he looks at her tired eyes, the heavy bags under the green shade he loves so much.

“We can’t go on like this,” he says quietly, fighting his urge to look away.

She sighs. “I know. I know.”

* * *

The solution, surprisingly, comes from Ino. Though, it might be a bit uncharitable to her, but Hinata and her don’t have any children and Ino never seemed very interested in them as a concept. Of course, she loves her new nephew and she’s been dotting on Chōji’s children for years. But that’s another subject they rarely talk about, because out of every clan, the last anyone expected to ruthlessly enforce a policy of arranged marriage would have been the Akimichi. Chōji had been heartbroken, when barely months after the end of the war, his parents had thrust an equally unhappy woman into his life and ordered a ceremony for the Harvest month, only a few weeks from their first meeting.

And so Chōji had married a woman he didn’t love, didn’t even like, who gave it to him right back, to have a first child born into their miserable marriage ten months after the wedding. The birth had been just as miserable, the labour refusing to start because Hayako unconsciously denied her pregnancy to the last minute. In the end, weeks too late for her due date, Sakura had no choice but to artificially start the labour, which in turn brought its load of complications that forced her hand into a c-section.

The next two children had been born nine months apart from each other, and a few months after the birth of her latest, as if waiting until her daughter didn’t need her milk anymore, Hayako jumped off a cliff into the Naka river. Like a final fuck-you to the Akimichi Clan, who ruined her life, her hopes and her dreams, her body washed on the banks of the river where Akimichi lands meet the water, where children still go to play and adults go swim after a long day.

And that is why Chōji and his children are a subject rarely breached anymore, now that the bubbly, optimistic boy turned into a bitter, resentful man, who only has a smile for his children, the children forced onto him that he decided to love out of spite for the horrifying family model his clan imposed on him. Ino, childless and being one of only two people who can claim to love Chōji with everything she has, ever since she was born, became a second caretaker for the three children, Hinata and Shikamaru close behind

Despite the tragedy of their life, all three Akimichi children are healthy and able-bodied. After a week of worry, exhaustion and secrecy, Shikamaru and Sakura open their doors to their closest friends, and their friends get a glimpse of the nightmare that has become the day-night cycle of the Haruno couple. Like a well-meaning, helpful whirlwind, Lee comes back with arms full of groceries, Kiba cleans their house from top to bottom without, impressively, never stopping complaining the entire time (yet, never actually complaining in a way that would make either Sakura or Shikamaru look bad or accuse them in any way). Tenten and Neji take turns sparring with both Haruno, keeping them in shape and tiring them in a good way that forces them to take naps during the day, increasing their overall sleeping time. Sai brings his pack of children to the house and with Hinata, Ino and Karin, they wrangle the bunch of them into schedule that integrated Inami in all the best ways, giving the boy much-needed socialization and Sakura and Shikamaru some time to themselves and some to spend as a couple.

All in all, their friends are being absolute sweethearts and it’s a lifesaver for the both of them. They get to rest, stay in fighting shape, catch up on a bit of work while still spending time together and even with their friends. Inami can never be kept away from them for too long, a separation anxiety just as big as the constant paranoia the Haruno both live with now. But it’s so much better nonetheless. It still doesn’t solve their problem, though. Their friends can’t stay forever, and they’ll just go back to the way things were before. Chōji brings his own children to add to the feral lot Sai is raising and Shikamaru is happy to spend some time with his three nieces, despite the circumstances around their births.

While Shikamaru is letting children pile onto him on the tatami of the kotatsu room, Ino takes Sakura to the side, serious in a way the war forced all of them to become.

“Are you doing, Forehead? Really?”

Sakura shrugs, never intending to lie about it to her best friend. “Like shit. I’m tired, I’m scared, and…” she looks up, then away, her fingers twisting unconsciously, “and I’m terrified of Shikamaru finding out that, a few seconds every day, I regret bringing Inami into our life.”

“Well, that’s heavy shit.” Sakura snorts in laughter, punching Ino lightly in the shoulder. “No, I mean it! Why aren’t you talking about that with Shikamaru? Don’t you think he might be feeling the same things?”

Sakura bites her lip. “Maybe. I don’t know. Or maybe it’s just that I’m scared to realize both of us regret this? That we’re making a terrible mistake, and we’re going to ruin this poor child’s life.”

Ino tsks, frowning deeply as she leans into Sakura’s space, pointing an accusing finger at her chest. “Not this poor child, you cunt. Your son’s life. Haruno Inami, _your_ child. Take responsibility for who he is in your life, because for him, this is a no-return policy. You don’t get to slap your worries onto him while he’s just trying to have a normal childhood.”

Sakura swallows hard, looking at her oldest friend with wide eyes. Then, in a second, all the tension bleeds from her frame, her shoulders suddenly dropping as she sighs heavily.

“You’re right.”

“Of course I am. Are you done being dumb now?” Sakura laughs wetly, wiping a traitor tear. “Good. Now listen, I got an idea.”

Ino’s idea is genius.

Apparently, it’s something Yamanaka parents have been using for as long as they can remember, utilizing their kekkei-genkai and clan techniques to the best of their utility, to draw out every last bit of usefulness as they could out of the already priceless jutsu. It’s a minor thing, a tiny use of chakra spread out over the entire night, almost like the wards squads use when they go on missions and can’t spread their numbers thin enough to allow someone to be on guard duty. Instead, they put out wards all around the perimeter that warn them whenever someone crosses an invisible line, or displays a specific behaviour.

This works the same, except that the selected behaviour in this case, is Inami waking up and his heartbeat rising. Because the child sometimes wakes up, but falls back asleep instantly. But with this ward, if he stays awake for more than a couple of minutes and becomes distressed about it, Shikamaru and Sakura are immediately woken up. And wonderfully, it serves a double purpose, since it also alerts them if the window or door are ever breached by anything that isn’t keyed to their chakra signatures.

Shikamaru actually shades a few tears when Sakura explains Ino’s idea and they realize they won’t need to pull all-nighters anymore.

With that weight removed from their shoulders, the Haruno are able to fully enjoy the presence of their friends and the time they all took out of their busy schedules to spend some time with the newly formed family. Sakura, as the godmother of all eleven of Sai’s children, is overjoyed with the opportunity to spend more time with them than she usually can. Sai fully retired after the war, taking with him his fighting benefits, his hazard pay and mission pay in one giant money package that should last him and every single of his children for their entire life. With the feeling that he would never be able to pay back all the lives he took in ROOT, and never recover from the things he saw during the war, he instead turned all his attention and put every single last drop of his energy into adopting as many of the war’s many orphans as he physically could.

Sakura has never seen happier children, nor has she ever seen Sai this happy. Shikamaru doesn’t get to spend as much time with them as Sakura does, because as much as Sai became his friend when he started dating, then married Sakura, he also has his own best friends and their families to care for. Sakura, on the other hand, is alone. No families, estranged from her team for years now, she instead poured all her love onto Sai and his million kids, before Inami came into her life. Even now, she wishes her days could be ten hours longer, so she could spend more time with Sai and Ino, her best friends, and the people they both care about the most.

But a day is shorter than she’d like it to be, so both her and Shikamaru enjoy their friends as much as they can, before night comes and steals them all away from the Haruno household. Inami is falling asleep on Shikamaru’s shoulder, exhausted by so many social interactions after so long with just his new parents. All the adults know sign language, and their children are picking up on it, so Inami was never left out of the conversations, and that tired the boy more than he might have liked. Sakura is overjoyed that he seems to like everyone who came here today. What a blessing this little soul is.

She trails behind Shikamaru as he goes into Inami’s bedroom, to put the child in his crib. Sakura focuses on setting up the ward, pouring all her love and worry into it. One after the other, they kiss Inami’s soft forehead and leave the room. For the first time in a week, they go to sleep in the same bed, and they wrap themselves in each other, heartbeats syncing up quietly. This… yeah. This is good.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed it, especially you, bouncy! Tell me what you think, and I'll see you again all soon. I'm currently working on the next chapter of my LOTR x Naruto fic, on the next chapter of our oath, on the next installment in the samurai sakura series, and on a brand new Naruto story, mostly gen, about a bunch of characters running away to live in the woods to cope with atrocities and complex PTSD and support and heal each others. If you're excited for any of that, let me know in the comments! At the pace I'm writing, any could be finished first so if I get a majority of people asking for the same thing, I'll finish it first. Also, if you'd like to support your favourite french disabled writer who struggles to buy food and meds with the current climate, head over to my tumblr @dimancheetoile where you can ask for your very own story or piece of art (including brand new tarot card commissions!!!)


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